1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computer systems and more particularly to computing systems having a plurality of remote human interfaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
In modern day enterprises, there is a heavy demand for various types of information. Many various mediums are used to convey and process information as well as allow communication between people and places. Telephones and Internet e-mail enable two different methods by which people communicate with each other. The Internet may also be used to convey information to an end user using a medium such as the World Wide Web. Media such as 24-hour cable news channels conveys information to users watching a television set. Computer systems process information input by a user or received from the Internet.
At times, some or all of these functions may be integrated into a single system. For example, computer systems exist that may receive and display television signals. Computer systems also exist that allow telephone communication. Such integrated systems may be useful in a wide variety of environments. For example, a commodities trader may use an integrated computer system in order to make trading decisions based on real-time information and execute those trades in the shortest amount of time possible. Using the television interface of the integrated computer system, a commodities trader may view a 24-hour news channel in order to be informed of events that may affect the price of the commodity which he is trading. Using the integrated telephone system, the commodities trader might be able to engage in voice communications with others in order to convey or receive information pertinent to the commodity price. Using various application software on the computer, a commodities trader may perform calculations based on various scenarios (in many cases using information obtained from the other integrated functions) in order to estimate the effect of the price on the commodity being traded.
In many enterprises, individual computer users may customize their own computer systems. Thus, in scenarios such as the one above, different users may utilize different applications software or view different television channels in their respective integrated computer systems. Furthermore, some of these computer systems may not implement all of the functions. System administrators responsible for such a network may find it difficult to retain a consistent set of applications on each computer system of a network. Enterprises in which computer networks are implemented may find personnel making decisions from different sets of assumptions, which may further be detrimental to enterprise operations.